Lockheed receives F-16 contract for Morocco

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a nearly $841.9 million contract by the US government to deliver 24 F-16 Block 52 fighters under a previously announced deal with Morocco.

The US Air Force is processing the contract on behalf of Morocco within the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process.

The amount of the contract award shows that Morocco is paying $35 million per F-16 Block 52, which includes advanced countermeasures, electronic warfare and support equipment.

It is not clear if the award also includes the Pratt & Whitney F100-229 engines or air-launched weapons. According to a press release in 2007 by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the full value of the deal could rise to $2.4 billion.

Lockheed won the contract in 2007 after a presumed deal for the Dassault Rafale fell apart reportedly over conflicting messages between the French government and the manufacturer.